The Macallan

Envied the world over as one of the finest Speyside whiskies, The Macallan is famously the signature dram of James Bond. Founded in 1824, The Macallan prides itself on its Six Pillars, which it testifies as the six reasons to its success. The first is its spiritual home, the Easter Elchies House on the 485-acre Macallan Estate. The second pillar is its small stills which help concentrate the spirit and provide its characteristic rich flavour. A very select portion of spirit is then taken to form the starting point of the whisky. The liquid is then matured in high quality oak casks, these casks providing the rich, completely natural colour. This combination of location, method and experience help create an unparalleled single malt: known for rich flavours of fruit cake, nutmeg, toffee and dried fruit.

The name of the area ‘Maghellan’ is formed from the Gaelic word ‘magh,’ meaning fertile ground and ‘Ellan,’ from the Irish Monk St. Fillan who brought Christianity to Scotland in the 8th century. 

Bowmore

Founded in 1779, Bowmore is one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland and the oldest surviving on the Isle of Islay. Remaining hand-crafted, Bowmore prides itself on its traditional techniques which honour past methods. Claiming to be one of the world’s oldest maturation warehouses, the No.1 Vaults has been maturing liquid for over 240 years. This stone warehouse sits on the shores of Loch Indaal and infiltrates the whisky with its unique character. It's a signature smoky and maritime Islay dram, complemented by flavours of stone fruits and rich oak.

Bowmore is named after the coastal town on the west of Islay. the Some historians believe the name to be derived from a small black reef just outside Lochindaal whilst others reference the Norse for sunken rock, bogha mor, as its origination.

Redbreast

Redbreast is the largest selling Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey in the world, and is a favourite of Bruce Springsteen! Produced by Irish Distillers, it was originally bottled by Gilbey's, a Dublin spirits merchant using distillate sourced from Jameson's Bow Street Distillery. Redbreast is created at the Midleton complex of distilleries, which dates back to the 17th century! This site produces the many different whiskies due to the variety of stills available. It showcases full-bodied flavours of toffee, ginger cake and liquorice.

The first official mention of Redbreast dates back to 1912, when Gilbey’s referred to the sale of “Redbreast” J.J. Liqueur Whiskey 12 Year Old. “Redbreast” was a nickname given to one of the whiskeys by Gilbey’s chairman at the time, who was an avid birdwatcher, in reference to Robin Redbreast. 

Midleton

Midleton Irish Whiskey is the flagship brand of the enormous distillery, in which Redbreast is also produced. The bottles it releases under the Midleton name are exceptionally rare and, to some, are the pinnacle of Irish whiskey in quality. In the 1980s, the Very Rare range was released to huge acclaim, and in 2020 the distillery has been brought back to life through the Silent Distillery Collection. It is known for rich and complex flavours of ginger, vanilla, nutmeg and green herbs.

As it is produced in the East Cork town of Midleton, the distillery takes its name. The Midleton range of whiskies was named for the distillery, as a celebration of the whiskies produced there. No double 'L', remember!

The Dalmore

The Dalmore Distillery was founded in 1839 by Alexander Matheson in the Highlands of Scotland. The distillery prides itself on the history and heritage of craftsmanship it has maintained since its establishment, with a lot of importance placed on the multiple casks used to mature the spirit. The roots of the whisky dates back to 1263 when Colin of Kintail, Chief of the Clan Mackenzie, saved King Alexander III from a charging stag. As a reward for saving the King’s life, the Mackenzie Clan were granted permission by the Scottish King to use the 12-pointed Royal stag emblem on their coat of arms. In 1867, when descendants of the Clan became owners of The Dalmore distillery, the Royal Stag became the icon of the brand and adorns each bottle to this day. It is famed for rich flavours of Christmas cake, chocolate orange, almond and toffee.

The name Dalmore translated means 'big meadowland', describing its location in Alness, near Inverness.

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